WHPC to Fox: Your Seat's in the Front Row

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The presidential press conference game of Musical Chairs set in motion by 89-year-old Helen Thomas' resignation and vacating of her front-row, center seat [see "TUOL" post 6/17/10] has ended with the White House Correspondents Association ("WHCA") Board's unanimous selection of Fox News to occupy a hallowed position in the front row.

The WHCA cited Fox's commitment to the White House press tv pool and its length of service as the basis for rewarding the news organization with the prime real estate, but "TUOL" suspects  White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs wanted Fox News to sit in the first row to discourage its correspondents from  making faces or throwing spitballs at Obama Administration officials.

Fox News may have made it to the front row, but Thomas' center seat will go to The Associated Press, which traditionally poses the initial question at presidential press conferences. Good luck to AP trying to remove the "old person" smell from Thomas' long-time perch.

So that you can tell the players without a scorecard:  Bloomberg News gets to stay in the second row, NPR moves from the third row into Fox News' old second row slot, and The Financial Times gets its very own chair.  On the downside, financially-fading U.S. News & World Report lost its seat and The Washington Times got kicked from the third row to the fourth row.

Unless and until President Obama holds another press conference, the Fourth Estate's White House branch will just stand around and report on Lindsay Lohan and Mel Gibson, like the rest of their news media colleagues.

Journos Grapple Over Best Seat in the (White) House

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White House correspondents seem to take in stride the dearth of presidential press conferences, the administration's recalcitrance in producing White House visitor logs, and their own increasing irrelevance, but now the American public knows what gets the dander up of the creme de la creme of the Fourth Estate--Who gets to sit in former UPI icon Helen Thomas' front row seat?

Since the 89-year-old Thomas' ill-conceived remarks about Israel's Gaza presence prompted her resignation, a battle royale is taking shape between Fox News and Bloomberg News over which organization will occupy the front row, center seat from which Thomas signaled the end of press conferences by bleating: "Thank you, Mr. President," seemingly dating back to the Polk Administration.

Traditionally, the seat has been occupied by a reporter from the wire services, but Bloomberg Executive Editor Al Hunt and Fox News Washington Managing Editor Bill Sammons each has fired off a letter to the White House Press Correspondents Association ("WHPCA") outlining why his organization deserves the coveted chair. A verdict is expected sometime after July 16 when new WHPCA board members assume office.

Some unsolicited observations from   "TUOL"'s editorial team. Initially, we wonder what the commotion is all about, unless, because of Thomas' advanced years, she sat in an ergonomically perfect orthopedic chair that is more comfortable than the rest of the briefing room furniture. Seniority and tradition have fallen by the wayside, as has the influence of ink-stained wretches, because no one is dusting off the seat for any major metropolitan daily newspaper reporter, perhaps out of concern that a print journalist  might rent out the seat to offset sagging ad revenues.

"TUOL" believes Thomas' seat should be filled by a blogger, who would be required to attend all briefings dressed in pajamas. Alternatively, the seat could be occupied by a White House plant (of the two-legged variety) along the lines of the faux journalist/gay escort employed by the Bush Administration to lob softball questions to W. that he still somehow managed to swing at and miss.

Another possible solution--give each of the watchdogs of democracy a "barka-lounger" of his or her very own.

Obama & Thomas in Natal Blowout

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President Barack Obama, who shares a birthday with Hearst Newspapers Columnist and former UPI icon Helen Thomas, took time off yesterday from affairs of state for a surprise joint celebration of the event.

President Obama, 48, brought a plate of cupcakes to White House Correspondent Thomas, 89, and led a chorus of reporters in the White House briefing room in a Happy Birthday serenade to Thomas as she blew out a candle on a cupcake.

President Obama's gift wish list doubtless includes immediate comprehensive health care reform legislation, and one imagines Thomas' calls for immediate health care, though all the correspondent who has everything asked for was world peace.